Dresden Plate Blackwork

Day 85: Occasionally, there are times when nothing seems to work according to plan with respect to my daily posts, and for reasons I am at a loss to explain. It might be that I "slept crooked" or "got up on the wrong side of the bed" even though to do so literally would flatten my nose against a bookcase. My photographic "eye" will be off, compositions unbalanced; my physical eye likewise, focus an unattainable object. On those days, I often arrive at evening in a critical state: "What am I going to do for a blog shot?" In desperation, I cast about for anything within the confines of the house which (a) I haven't photographed in a while and (b) has the makings of a story in its depiction, whether related to the subject or not. More the woe on my part if my literary skills also turn turtle, as the saying goes.

Blackwork thus becomes topic du jour. The piece currently in progress is based on the classic Dresden Plate quilt pattern. In this particular execution, every fourth segment is done in a "shaded" style, stitchery more dense toward the center of the plate, fading out to the basic stitch elements toward the outer edge. In designing blackwork stitches, the artist starts with a basic form which allows for repetition within a given space. If a shaded look is desired, additional stitches are added. Note the sections at one o'clock and five o'clock.

Winter weather has kept me from working on this piece for the last two weeks. Cold weather turns my fingertips to sandpaper, and often as not, I pull the thread out of the needle before it can pass through the canvas. Using hand lotion is out of the question because it would carry to the cotton. Gloves (even thin nitrile) are not an option. I'm crocheting with worsted instead. Winter is almost the only time I work with heavy fibers.